State Trooper Injured in Beacon Falls Crash, One of Two Troopers Hurt in CT Accidents

BEACON FALLS, CT — A Connecticut State Police trooper was injured when his cruiser was struck by another vehicle in Beacon Falls, one of two trooper-involved accidents in a 12-hour period Sunday night and early Monday morning, according to officials.

The first crash occurred at about 6:22 p.m. on Sunday when a trooper from Troop I – Bethany was in the midst of conducting a motor vehicle stop northbound on Route 8 south of Exit 24.

"The violator stopped in the left lane causing an extremely hazardous situation," said state police officials in a prepared statement. "In order to get them out of harm’s way, the trooper stopped traffic and directed the violator to pull over to the right shoulder."

That alleged violator, 52-year-old Jeffrey Stella, "failed to react to the warning lights in time and struck the rear of the Trooper’s cruiser. The Trooper sustained minor injuries and was transported to Yale-New Haven Hospital."

Stella was arrested and charged with:

• Driving Under the Influence of alcohol and/or drugs
• Operating Under Suspension
• Failure to move over/yield to emergency vehicles
• Traveling too fast for Conditions
• Traveling an Unreasonable Distance Apart

He was released on a $1,000 non-surety bond and is scheduled to appear in court on Dec. 2.

The second crash occurred Monday morning at around 6:46 a.m. in Bozrah when a trooper was pulled over on the side of Route 2. A vehicle "left the roadway for an unknown reason and struck the Trooper’s cruiser." The trooper was transported to Backus Hospital and treated for minor injuries.

"Enforcement action was taken against the driver for traveling too fast for conditions.

State police added that the takeaways from both incidents are:

1. Don’t drive under the influence – ever. There are no excuses. 10,265 people were killed in DUI crashes last year.

2. When signaled to pull over, always pull to the right. (This is an additional motor vehicle violation under 14-283(e). It’s an $82 ticket, but the costs can be much higher as we’ve seen.

3. Accept that winter is upon us! Morning commutes are going to be a bit tougher with black ice and snow flurries becoming the norm. Leave early – slow down – avoid distractions – wear your seatbelt.

Photo credit: Connecticut State Police